A Mother's Love: A Kingdom Hearts Story
by melchiorgabor
Summary: Everyone knows the adventures of Sora and his friends, but what of his mother? And what of her adventures after her discovery of her missing son? This is her story. Warning: CONTAINS BBS SPOILERS!  Also KH1.
1. Prologue

Welcome to my fanfiction! I hope you enjoy it. Please review this. This story means more to my beta than you know.

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts os not mine, but Kumo's personality is.

**Prologue**

There was a story that my father would always tell me when I went to bed at night.

It was a tale of one world, in complete and perfect harmony, sharing a supply of endless, beautiful light. "And for that while," he told me, "everything was peaceful on this very young earth. But there were those who would try to take the light for themselves, and encase the rest of the world in darkness. When the greedy ones – the 'dark ones,' as the common folk called them – found no satisfaction in their prize, they decided to destroy the light for good.

"This did not go over well, as you can imagine, and a grand war was started. One such as you've never seen in all of the years of your young life. The utopia began to crack and splinter from the hatred that engulfed the world, until at last, it split into hundreds of smaller worlds that scattered across the night sky. Each of them erected barriers to protect themselves, lest there be an invasion of such horrid darkness again."

"Are we one of those worlds, Papa?" I would ask my father at the end of the story, as I did every night.

"Yes, Kumoko, I believe we are." My father smiled, and his eyes shone down at me. His face was still on the edge of youth, despite the wrinkles around his eyes and at the corners of his mouth. I smiled back eagerly.

"Then why are there lights in the sky?" I asked, pointing out my bedside window. Most of the village lights had been extinguished, and the stars shone brightly down on our humble group of islands. "You said the light was gone forever."

"I said nothing of the sort, child," My father said, pretending to look offended, but then his eyes crinkled, and he grinned. "There are lights in the sky because the light still lives in the hearts of children."

My eyes widened." Like me, Papa?"

"Yes, dear, exactly like you." I was so happy that I could feel the tears coming to my eyes.

I clung to my father and whispered, "I love you, Papa," into the folds of his now slightly-dampened shirt.

"I love you too, child. Now go to bed. Your light won't glow as brightly if you don't get enough sleep, now will it?" He held me close, ruffling my hair.

"No, Papa," I smiled, wrapping myself in my blanket and resting my head on my pillow.

"That's my girl." I felt a soft touch on my forehead. I smiled, keeping my eyes shut tight.

"Goodnight, Papa," I whispered.

"Goodnight, Kumoko," he replied, sounding oddly wistful, as he closed my bedroom door.

I looked out the window at the stars. I imagined each one was begging to tell me its story. There were so many, and I wanted to hear them all. "Come to me in my dreams," I whispered. I saw a star shoot through the sky. _That must be a star entering another kid's dream. I'd better go to sleep soon or my star __might not come!_ I snuggled under my blanket. Darkness pulled me in and swallowed my thoughts. I had many dreams, but I didn't remember them.

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Again, please review. And I hope you enjoyed.


	2. Destiny Islands

Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took so long and that it isn't that long. The next one will be longer, I promise. :)

**Disclaimer: **Square Enix owns this shit!

**Destiny Islands**

Sora had seemed distant lately. I kept saying to myself that he was fourteen now, and his rebellious attitude could be blamed on hormones. But there was something else. A distance that seemed to say 'Goodbye, Mom. Thanks for the love and care all these years, but I'm taking my leave now.' It was unsettling.

I gave the potatoes a last good mash before spooning it into two bowls - one heaped up twice as high as the other. Then, I took two T-bone steaks from the oven - leaving a third to keep warm in case Sora was still hungry. He is a growing boy. Balancing the bowls and steak on plates, I carried them to our small dining table.

The sudden shrill of the teakettle's whistle filled the small room. I took it off the burner, filling two cups with steaming hot tea in the silence that followed. I added them to the warm meal at the table. Sora's favorite. Just the thing to cheer him up.

I glanced out the window and saw dark clouds covering the night sky. "A storm," I muttered. An omen? I shook my head. Storms were never good omens. I closed the blinds. This meal was going to work.

"Sora, dinner's ready!" I called. "Time to come down!" I listened for the clatter of footsteps on stairs. Sora always hurried downstairs at the prospect of food.

"Sora?"

Silence. I stood at the foot of the stairs for a moment, arguing with myself. After all, Sora was fourteen now - old enough to make some decisions for himself. Should dinnertime be one of them? But then again, he is my son, and family time is precious and all too rare between the two of us now.

And this might just be me being selfish. He's his own person. Free to be who he wants, and old enough to decide who that is.

...But it wouldn't hurt to check.

I ascended the stairs slowly. He was probably just asleep, I told myself. I walked down the second floor hallway, past the door to my room, past the rest room, and stopped at the last door. It was decorated with a piece of notebook paper that read 'Sora's Room' with a star-shaped paupu fruit beside it. I knocked, hesitated for a moment, then turned the doorknob. I opened the door slightly to peer at Sora's bed for the familiar sleeping form cuddled up in its sheets.

He wasn't there. I pushed the door open and looked wildly around the small, slightly messy room. "Sora?" I looked behind the door, under the bed. I hurried back up the hall, looking into the restroom, my room, calling his name. Downstairs again, I searched the kitchen. Sora was nowhere to be found.

"He wouldn't be out in this storm." I undid the blinds. The storm had gotten worse. If Sora had gone out in this downpour...

There was only one place he would go.

The island. Sora had been spending most of his time there with his friends, Riku and Kairi.

"Well, what better way to shorten a distance then by closing it yourself," I murmured to myself. Grabbing my raincoat off the coat-rack by the door, I headed into the storm.

I shivered in the sudden chill. The dark approaching cloud hid the night sky, but I knew the path well. As I walked to the shore, I had the uncomfortable feeling of someone - or something - following me. Watching me. I turned, seeing a glint of... something. A large pair of yellow eyes, close to the ground, shone a moment and then blinked out. Whatever the creature was, it didn't want to be seen. Cautiously, I continued to the shore.

In the darkness, I saw a red light reflecting off the water. I looked up and saw its source: a large red, pulsing ball swirling in the air, growing larger by the minute. It was directly above the island.

I scanned the shoreline, looking for my boat - the one Sora always used to get to the island. My fears were confirmed: it was gone, along with Riku's and Kairi's. What were they doing? Did they have any idea of the danger they were in? A surge of anger swelled up in me. I jumped into the nearest boat, dead-set on the island. Hell or high water, I was getting my son back.

I took hold of the oars and pushed off. The rickety boat launched out, unevenly, dousing me with icy cold water. Rowing firmly, I reached the island, hurriedly made the boat fast and climbed onto the shore. The darkness was filled with yellow eyes. As I walked forward they turned in my direction, moved toward me, encircled me... My eyes widened in fear. Had Sora met his end here?

No. My son was still alive. I could feel it. Blindly, I ran over the creatures, small creatures, as it turned out, that I was able to leap over. I hurried past them, finally pausing to catch my breath and glance around, wondering where Sora could be. Somewhere near here, I knew, was Sora and Riku's old hiding place: a small cave between a large tree and the base of a waterfall. Ahead of me, the waterfall shone eerily red in the light of the sphere overhead. I looked up at the sphere, which had grown much larger during my trek here, then back at the yellow-eyed creatures, still close behind me.

Scrabbling through the bushes between the tree and the falls, I found the opening, and crawled through. Once past the entrance I stood up, cocking my head slightly under the low ceiling. I walked down the dirt-encrusted cave, relieved that the creatures did not follow. Odd, since they were of such a small stature and could easily enter.

"Sora!" My voice echoed down the passage and boomed back, with a hollow sound. This was caused by a large cavern further down the corridor, holding massive pillars and strewn with large rocks. White lines covered the cave walls, remnants of the children's chalk drawings. I stopped, my attention caught by something that lay on the far side of the room.

It was an entrance. One I was sure I had never seen before. It was a door, its rounded shape opening into sheer, utter blackness. I approached the entrance, my heart racing. "Oh, Sora. Please tell me you're not in there." I gulped, peering into the pitch black. I could see nothing, nothing at all.

It was here that the thought of turning back entered my thoughts for the first and only time. I silenced it instantly. I had to go on. I had to find my son.

Slowly, I brought my hand up to the entrance. One moment, I could see my hand, shaking with anxiety; the next, my fingers entered the abyss and were engulfed in darkness. Oddly, I was not frightened. Instead of wanting to pull my fingers back, I had a strange sensation of calm. The darkness was warm, almost welcoming.

_Follow the darkness. It will help you see your dreams. Make them realities._

I looked behind me, thinking I had heard someone. The cave was still barren, not a soul but myself. I turned back to the entrance, thinking this must have been the way Sora had taken. I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what might lie ahead. Unknown.

And it was with this thought I stepped into the entrance, allowing myself to be covered in a comforting warmth, and a hovering darkness.

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Like I said, it'll be longer next chapter. 'Til then!


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